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Spotlight Saturday 1.0 | under1000skies

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Today we are happy and excited to tell you about the start of something new:

¤ Spotlight Saturday ¤

"Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all." Emily Dickinson

SHOWER-UP NASHVILLE

The spotlight today is on ShowerUp Nashville, a beautiful service started by Paul Anthony Schmitz. I got a chance to talk to Paul this morning and his excitement and love just pours through his words. I’ve been following his feed on Instagram for a few months, and I have been so inspired by all the great work ShowerUp is doing!

ShowerUp began as one of those moments where you are sure God is telling you to do something, but you wonder if He knows what He is talking about!

10 years ago, I probably would have dismissed His leading without a second thought. Even though I became a Christian in high school, it wasn’t until I read the books, Crazy Love (by Francis Chan) and Not A Fan (by Kyle Idleman) that I realized that it was quite possible that I wasn’t all in when it came to loving the people that Jesus said we were to love. I had bought in to the thinking that if it wasn’t my “burden”, in my “gift mix”, or my “calling” to serve the poor then I didn’t need to. Then, I read Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about caring for and loving “the least of these” and said that when we did it to them, we did it to Him. Conversely, when we didn’t do it to them, we didn’t do it to Him. In that moment, Jesus transformed my heart…

-Paul Anthony Schmitz

Here is one story that really touched my heart which Paul posted on May 23rd:

Kenneth – Shower Up Nashville

Click here for Kenneth’s 1-minute video on Instagram. Kenneth tells a little bit about his story and about his life in Nashville with his service dog. He talks about how much ShowerUp helped him. This story will touch your heart.

In another story, ShowerUp speaks about how a simple shower helped two people get jobs and start a new life. This is from their Instagram post:

A gentlemen named Jamie came up to get his name on the list and ask for a razor. He said he wanted a shower because last week he took his first shower with us and was able to get a job the very NEXT day! Him and his wife got jobs at the same place!! He said I want one again tonight and as much as you can come. He was smiling and happy!!! He was able to get clothes from @peoplelovingnashville and he was good to go…

New City Connection: Nashville, TN!

Another really exciting blessing came from my call this morning. I’m going to send Paul a few Artist Packs and he’s agreed to facilitate getting these to the people he serves. So that means we have a new city connection!

I told Paul about Johnny O and Nicole’s upcoming event in Denver “Colfax Street” (“The Denver Project”) Paul said was really happy to hear about it and had just this morning gotten back from Denver. He said tat Denver is a really beautiful city and to please keep him posted about the event. (I will!)

I explained to Paul that it is my dream to connect not only homeless artists at the heart level through their creativity, but the people who serve them. I said that as much as we love to help, it sometimes does feel overwhelming. I told him how much hearing stories about others helping, like ShowerUp, have inspired me over the years.

Paul replied that this service, which comes in many forms from activism marches to raise awareness; working in soup kitchens; handing out clothing and blankets; and so many more, is so crucial and every kind of service is needed. He agreed that connection would be really helpful. He told me about a group in Nashville “Poverty and the Arts” which enlists homeless artists in their city, so I will be contacting them very soon and, hopefully, I’ll have another “Spotlight Saturday” feature from Nashville!

I believe that “small acts with great love” are crucial, every day, and that these become so much more powerful when connected. So stay tuned here every Saturday for more heart-level connections about people of kindness with service hearts.

Thank you Paul and all the ShowerUp volunteers for your beautiful work. I hope that every city in the world turns its hearts and minds to what you are doing so that there can be ShowerUp trucks and facilities everywhere they are needed.